Crystal River

Crystal River, known as the winter haven for the West Indian Manatee floods with visitors during the November thru March months, with everyone vying for a spot to see a manatee. But what else is there to do in this sleepy fishing town on Florida’s Nature Coast? Check out this definitive guide to everything Crystal River.

We headed out from Crystal River for some saltwater fishing with the kids. It had been a week since hurricane Hermine swept through and there was still a Fort Island Beach Closed Until Further Notice sign on highway 19 near the Plantation Inn. It wasn’t until we had reached the mouth of Crystal River, just shy of Shell Island that we found out why…

Recently we had the opportunity to take a family trip to Shell Island. Located at the mouth of Crystal River and only accessible by boat, this has been our (me & the kids) first time on the island, and I was hesitant to post this video as it’s a really neat, uninhabited place, but then my husband laughingly told me that everyone knows about Shell Island! Check out our newest video!

We finally caught a sunny winter’s day, and it seemed a shame to waste it, so we headed to the Churchhouse Hammock Boardwalk & Primitive Trail in Crystal River. This trail is part of the Crystal River Preserve State Park and the ﻿entrance is directly across from the Crystal River Mall and Rural King, so I had seen the park more than once and have always been curious what lay beyond the picnic tables…